Honestly Unbalanced

In the two short years that Wassim (Waz) Ashayer (@wazashayer) has officially worked in the fitness industry his achievements are extensive. Co-Founder of boutique fitness business Raise LDN, Group Fitness Manager for global fitness brand Equinox, Trainer for leading on-demand fitness app FIIT, and a Brand Ambassador for Gymshark, to name but a few. 

Although a fully qualified Personal Trainer at just 17 years’ old, his successful modelling career with Select Model Management took precedent in his earlier years. Choosing sobriety in August 2016, fitness has become his driving passion, preferring to work with group fitness rather than on a one-to-one basis. 

WHAT WE CHAT ABOUT

-From partying hard in celebrity hospitality to going sober into the fitness world

-Making the hard decision to change your life

-The importance of having a mentor

-Comparing on social media

-Working on the internal conversation

- Working and succeeding in group fitness

-Dealing with criticism

-Growing a street fitness business in lockdown

-Movement as medicine for the body

-Willpower, hard work and consistency for success

10% off Liforme yoga mats with code THEHUSLERS (we get commission)

Code HonestlyUnbalanced30 gets 30% off any packages on thehuslers.com online yoga, meditation and sound platform.

World renowned yoga instructor, Matt Giordano (@theyogimatt) gives credit to an influential figure from his teenage years--his high school art teacher-- for sparking within him the curiosity and tenacity that eventually led him to yoga. It was Eileen Walk who told Giordano: "You are not allowed to say 'I can’t.' You must rephrase to a question: 'How?"

That inquisitive and unrelenting spirit laid the foundation for Matt to begin a devoted yoga practice. When coupled with his passion to understand anatomy, biomechanics and the deeper philosophical and meditative practices for the mind, Matt’s path as a teacher came into focus. Matt has a unique talent of taking a complex, challenging concept and simplifying without taking away its potency. This approach provides the revelatory "aha moments" that many of his students rave about.

WHAT WE CHAT ABOUT

-Starting days at 4am

-Sleeping on city park benches to owning a farm

-Reaching burnout from the ‘NYC grind’

-Building an Instagram following

-The reality of being a travelling yogi

-Making money as a yoga teacher

-Practicing self awareness

-Discovering meditation in an unexpected place

-Falling in and out of love with yoga

10% off Liforme yoga mats with code THEHUSLERS (we get commission)

Code HonestlyUnbalanced30 gets 30% off any packages on thehuslers.com online yoga, meditation and sound platform.

Punnu Wasu (@punnuwasu) is an Indian vocalist, musician, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He was born and raised in Hyderabad into a family that has a true love for Kirtan (devotional music) and spirituality. He began studying harmonium and singing at the tender age of 5. At age 10, he moved on to learning the Hindustani (Indian Classical Music) while traveling with his father throughout India singing the beautiful verses of Kirtan. Later on, his knowledge of mandolin and tabla became his focal point. Nowadays he performs Kirtan, Xtatic Kirtan, Indian Fusion, Indian Classical music, Sufi, Bollywood music as well as Sound Healing around the world. He has his own Kirtan Academy Bhakti Bliss as well as Sound Healing Academy and also leads music workshops in combination with yoga & meditation. 

From early age Punnu was interested in learning and practicing meditations. He has studied with different masters all over India, Indonesia and Philippines. He shares his vast knowledge and experience of more than 35 years in his meditation classes, workshops, Meditation Teacher Trainings, Advanced Meditation Trainings and Yoga Nidra Teacher Trainings all around the world. 

Furthermore, he is a Reiki Grand Master offering Reiki Trainings, Spiritual Awakening courses, Holistic Healing Sessions, Spiritual Counselling and is co-founder of the Bhakti Bliss Fest which is a festival of meditation, yoga, music & dance in the mountains of Switzerland

WHAT WE CHAT ABOUT

-Chanting as food for the soul

-Keeping the ego in check

-The gift of going within during lockdown

-Quitting the business world to pursue passion for healing

-Reaching higher consciousness in meditation

-What is enlightenment?

-Deities representing aspects of ourselves

-The 8 step process to spiritual awakening

-Advice for making a life change

-‘God’ is what you want him/her/it to be 

10% off Liforme yoga mats with code THEHUSLERS (we get commission)

Code HonestlyUnbalanced30 gets 30% off any packages on thehuslers.com online yoga, meditation and sound platform.

Kim Hartwell (@kimhartwell) is a personal trainer, movement coach, yoga teacher, rock climber and avid nature lover. Her classes fuse biomechanics and yoga flow, so you can feel empowered to do what you love for longer. She is also the founder of Rock & Soul Adventure retreats which combine rock climbing, movement and general outdoorsiness.

WHAT WE CHAT ABOUT

-The transition from Hiit trainer to yoga teacher

-Getting bullied before being scouted to be a model

-Previously squashing creativity just to ‘fit in’

-Embracing your unique teaching style and voice

-Imposter syndrome

-Empowering others through movement and nature

-Perceived failures and mistakes

-Over-training to reach an aesthetic goal

-Feeling unworthy and needing to prove ourselves

-Always chasing the next best thing

-Comparing ourselves on social media

10% off Liforme yoga mats with code THEHUSLERS (we get commission)

Code HonestlyUnbalanced30 gets 30% off any packages on thehuslers.com online yoga, meditation and sound platform.

When Magnus Fridh (@magnus_fridh) was just seventeen, his life took a surprising and abrupt turn: He had grown up a restless child, so when his family received a visit from Karma, a Tibetan youth they were sponsoring, he was initially sceptical of anything that he deemed ”New Age”. It didn’t take long before he realized the power of both meditation and mindfulness, and as he grew more interested he travelled to Nepal to practice meditation, and later on specialized in Indology at University of Stockholm. Nowadays he regularly teaches groups in  yoga, mindfulness and meditation irl and online. 

The world today is ever more restless, fast-paced and stressful than the one that Magnus grew up in, and the new reality of long-term sick leave, anxiety, burnouts and thriving stress clinics and rehabilitation centers reinforced his belief we need to make time to find inner stillness.

Magnus instils in us that we do not need to make drastic changes to change our lives, but small ones that will collectively increase our creativity, inspiration, and joy. In his book ‘The Art of stillness is a Noisy World’ he mixes personal reflections from his own wealth of experience with in-reading tips and suggestions—meaning, you can read and re-read this small guide to find inner calm and train yourself to become a master of stillness in your own life and surroundings.

WHAT WE CHAT ABOUT

-The benefits and challenges of a meditation practice

-Mindfulness in parenting

-Self-compassion, acceptance and vulnerability

-Living in a Buddhist community

-Spotting an opportunity and building an app

-Suffering with childhood ADHD

-The danger of putting teachers on a pedestal

-Practicing patience and trust over wanting immediate results

10% off Liforme yoga mats with code THEHUSLERS (we get commission)

Code HonestlyUnbalanced30 gets 30% off any packages on thehuslers.com online yoga, meditation and sound platform.

Jules Mitchell MS, CMT, RYT (@julesyoga) is a Las Vegas based yoga teacher, educator and massage therapist. She blends the tradition of yoga with her extensive study in biomechanics to help teachers develop their craft and empower them with education. She regularly contributes to yoga teacher training programs and leads workshops worldwide, balancing the somatic aspects of yoga with the most current exercise science. Bringing the most useful and applicable pieces of that science into the yoga community is her passion, even when it invokes a discerning analysis of popular opinions. Her book, Yoga Biomechanics: Stretching Redefined, is now available through Handspring Publishing.

WHAT WE CHAT ABOUT

Helping yoga teachers think critically /// Being a ‘teacher’ in all parts of life /// Life as a night club bar tender /// Its ok not to know it all as a new teacher // Whether yoga can been seen as harmful /// Embodying teachings rather than parroting new knowledge, after a training /// The importance of asking ‘why’ /// Coping tools for tough times /// Finding inspiration in the bath tub /// Biomechanics /// How spirituality and anatomy are connected ///Caring about your work

SHOW NOTES

Quotes and references can all be found at www.honestlyunbalanced.com

AFFILIATE CODE THEHUSLERS GETS YOU 10% OFF LIFORME YOGA MATS

THE HOSTS

Adam Husler (@adamhusler) and Holly Husler (@iamhollyhusler)

The Huslers have online platform for yoga classes, sound journeys, meditations and more. Explore at thehuslers.com

Celest Pereira (@celestpereirayoga) is a London based, internationally teaching, yoga teacher with 15 years teaching experience and a BSc in Physical Therapy. Her greatest passion is to teach anatomy and biomechanics to yoga practitioners and is currently doing a degree in neuroscience. She teaches Vinyasa Flow Yoga primarily with her own unique twist, incorporating biomechanical and neurology drills to enhance performance.

WHAT WE CHAT ABOUT

Growing up with dyslexia and having limiting beliefs about not being clever enough /// Making anatomy accessible and fun for yoga teachers /// From dancer and trained physio to yoga teacher and author of two books /// Hypermobility vs flexibility /// Pressure put on yoga teachers to give students a better way of life /// Having ‘off days’ as yoga teachers /// Transitioning from teaching 20 classes a week to making passive income online /// Finding your niche as a yoga teacher and being yourself /// Questioning the effectiveness of Ujjayi breathing /// Advice for new yoga teachers /// Creative sequencing and thinking outside the box

SHOW NOTES

Quotes and references can all be found at www.honestlyunbalanced.com

AFFILIATE CODE THEHUSLERS GETS YOU 10% OFF LIFORME YOGA MATS

THE HOSTS

Adam Husler (@adamhusler) and Holly Husler (@iamhollyhusler)

The Huslers have online platform for yoga classes, sound journeys, meditations and more. Explore at thehuslers.com

Dylan Werner (@dylanwerneryoga) is a renowned international yoga instructor and author. His extensive knowledge of anatomy and physiology and deep understanding of eastern philosophy lends a unique perspective to his teaching methodologies. Former US Marine and Iraq War veteran turned firefighter/paramedic; Dylan left his career to pursue a life of mindfulness, dedicating himself to helping others in their journey towards a more peaceful, harmonious life. 

WHAT WE CHAT ABOUT

The power of intention /// The benefits and goals of meditation /// The science behind breathwork and how it can bring more balance /// From fire-fighting paramedic to global yoga teacher /// Letting go of being a people pleaser and needing affirmations from others /// Having a positive impact on the world /// How there is no right or wrong way to define yoga OR How the definition of yoga evolves over years of practice /// Advice to new yoga teachers and what makes a good teacher /// Goals vs planning

SHOW NOTES

Quotes and references can all be found at www.honestlyunbalanced.com

AFFILIATE CODE THEHUSLERS GETS YOU 10% OFF LIFORME YOGA MATS

THE HOSTS

Adam Husler (@adamhusler) and Holly Husler (@iamhollyhusler)

The Huslers have online platform for yoga classes, sound journeys, meditations and more. Explore at thehuslers.com

Kyle Gray (@kylegrayuk) is a spiritual teacher with a difference. With his sharp wit, need for truth and a desire to shed light upon some of the more complex spiritual subjects, Kyle has become one of the most sought-after experts within his field. With spiritual encounters from an early age, Kyle always had the ability to hear, feel and see what goes beyond the natural senses, which eventually led him to discovering the power of angels and positive energy in his teens. Kyle believes that spiritual connection is possible for anyone and he is doing everything he can to make this possible and accessible.

Kyle is an international speaker and bestselling author of 8 books with 60+ International publishing deal. He also co-created three oracle card decks, hosts a weekly radio show on Hay House Radio called ‘Angel Club’ and has made multiple TV and magazine appearances.

WHAT WE CHAT ABOUT

Religion vs Spirituality /// What it means to be a ‘New Age’ /// Puppies /// Being brought up a protestant /// Journey from paralysed child to teenaged psychic /// Crystals, magic, vampires and angels /// Dealing with skeptics /// An encounter with angels /// Buffy the Vampire Slayer /// The practice of listening /// How challenges precede breakthroughs

SHOW NOTES

Quotes and references can all be found at www.honestlyunbalanced.com

AFFILIATE CODE THEHUSLERS GETS YOU 10% OFF LIFORME YOGA MATS

THE HOSTS

Adam Husler (@adamhusler) and Holly Husler (@iamhollyhusler)

The Huslers have online platform for yoga classes, sound journeys, meditations and more. Explore at thehuslers.com

Andrea Marcum (@andreamarcum) has been teaching yoga for over 20 year and in those years she has; opened a yoga studio, taught trainings for the famous YogaWorks studios, travelled the world teaching and wrote Close to Om; Stretching Yoga from Your Mat to Your Life. Andrea believes our yoga mats are magic carpets to look into our lives and that integrity lives in the way we do the simplest of things.

WHAT WE CHAT ABOUT

Coping online as a yoga teacher through lockdown /// Being a studio owner without wanting to be /// Creating an online community /// From gymnast and cardio gym bunny, to student of stillness /// The challenges of writing a book and facing multiple rejections /// Finding ways to be authentic on social media /// Creating space for creativity to flow in /// Appreciating the things that matter most

SHOW NOTES

Quotes and references can all be found at www.honestlyunbalanced.com

AFFILIATE CODE THEHUSLERS GETS YOU 10% OFF LIFORME YOGA MATS

THE HOSTS

Adam Husler (@adamhusler) and Holly Husler (@iamhollyhusler)

The Huslers have online platform for yoga classes, sound journeys, meditations and more. Explore at thehuslers.com